Earlier this year, Connecticut Voices for Children reviewed the budget proposal by the Governor for Fiscal year 2016 (FY16), comparing the proposed funding for services and programs that support Connecticut’s children and their families to the funding that would be needed to continue to support current services.
This paper examines the recently released budget proposal of the Appropriations Committee for Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16) as well as the funding recommendations of the Finance Committee. It finds that, whereas the Governor proposed a budget with $313.2 million less than the estimated level required to maintain current services in FY16, the budget passed by the Appropriations Committee would restore $129.5 million to the Children’s Budget, roughly $183.6 million below estimates of spending required to maintain current services. The paper further finds that the Finance Committee revenue proposal would not only bring in sufficient funding for the Appropriations Budget, but it would also improve overall tax equity and sustainability for the state. Finally, the paper identifies that the majority of the funding shortfall between the Appropriations Budget and a current services budget ($122.9 million) is attributable to the Committee’s support for the extension of caps on various grants to school districts that were due to expire on July 1, 2016. Together the two Committees present a budget that preserves many essential investments in children and families and provides a mechanism by which to pay for these investments.
